Adults

Adults

• can successfully study using abstract thinking. A teacher does not have to rely exclusively on games and songs
• they have expectations about the learning process, and they already have their own set patterns of learning
• adults tend to be more disciplined than other age groups and they are often prepared to struggle on despite boredom
• they come to a classroom with a range of experiences, including life experiences; this allows teachers to use a wide range of activities with them
• unlike children and teenagers, they often have a clear understanding of why they are learning and what outcome they would like to achieve
• adults can be critical of teaching methods. Their previous learning experiences may have predisposed them to one particular methodological style which makes it hard for them to accept teaching methods they are not familiar with
• many older adults claim that their intellectual capacity of retaining information is diminishing as they get older.

Successful adult teaching strategies will take into account all above-mentioned factors. Teachers will find it easier to create lesson plans and organize the learning process if they find out what interests the individual students have. Although adults might also learn things by doing, they may need more structural approach to language explanation and teachers need to be prepared to explain things and answer any questions providing rules. As a form of feedback (at the end of the class or the week), it might be a good idea to discuss the best ways of learning and which methods the students found the most useful. In order to help students retain the language structures it might be a good idea to systematically review what they have learned as well as back up what they study with visual and other resources.